Hood latch



March 13, 1934.

5. DE ORLOW HOOD LATCH Filed Feb. 15, 1952 Patented Mar. 13, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT FFlCE HOOD LATCH Application February 15, 1932, Serial No. 592,993

5 Claims.

This invention relates to hood latches for use on the hoods of automotive vehicles.

The object of the invention is to construct a hood latch which is concealed within the hood, is composed of a relatively small number of parts, and is easy to operate.

The objects of the invention are accomplished by securing to the inside of the hood a bracket or housing in which there is slidably mounted a support having a spring confined between the bracket and support to give to the latter a resilient mounting.

The lower end of the support is formed into a bearing for receiving the bearing portion of a shaft having a handle projecting without the hood through a slot in the hood and a hook fixed to its inner end which is adapted to engage under a keeper secured to a stationary part of the vehicle to retain the hood in down position. The hook has an inclined surface which engages a correspondingly inclined portion on the keeper and by rotating the handle, the shaft and hook are rotated therewith to throw the inclined portion of the hook away from the keeper to thereby allow the hood to be raised. The hook preferably has a cam surface thereon which is adapted to hold the hook in latched position.

On the drawing:

Figure l is a side View of a portion of a vehicle showing the invention applied.

Figure 2 is a section through the hood latch of the invention.

Figure 3 is an elevational view of the latch looking from the interior of the vehicle with parts broken away.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the hook member.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the lower portion of the support.

Figures 6 and 7 are views similar to Figures 2 and 3 of a modification.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 2 indicates a vehicle as a whole having a cowl 4, a hood 6 having the hinges as at 8, a radiator shell 10, and a chassis frame 12. The hood is equipped with a pair of hood latches in all respects similar and indicated by the numerals 14. The dashboard is indicated at 16 and secured to the dashboard and radiator shell 10 are the keepers 18 which are engaged by the latch when the hood is in the position shown in Figure 1 which corresponds to the latched position of the hood.

The latch of the invention includes the bracket 20 and plate 22 secured to each other by means of the tongues 24. The bracket 20 has the rectangularly shaped channel portion 26 formed thereon and both bracket and plate 22 are secured to the hood by means of the rivets 28.

A support 30, also rectangular in shape, is slidably mounted within the channel portion 26 of the bracket 20. The support 30 is preferably formed of stamped metal and has the bent-over tongues 32 on its end portion. A coil spring 34 is housed within the support 30 and is confined under compression between the tongues 32 and a pin 36 secured in the channel portion 26 of the bracket 20. Suitable slots 38 in the sides of the support 30 allow for the movement of the support within the channel portion 26.

The lower end of the support 30 is formed into a bearing portion 40 as is best shown in Figure 5. The end of the support 30 at the bearing portion 40 is also provided with the shoulders 42 to act as stops against which there are adapted to strike the projection 44 formed on a hook or latch member 46.

A shaft 48 has a bearing portion 50 which is mounted in the bearing portion 40 of the support 30, and a handle 52 which extends without the hood and through a slot 54 in the hood side. The inner portion of the shaft is preferably squared as shown at 56 and has the hook portion 46 secured thereto by means of the squared connection and the pin 58. As best shown in Figure 2, the hook portion 46 engages under the keeper 18 when the parts are in hoodlatched position. It will also be noted by referring to Figures 2 and 4 that the hook 46 has an inclined portion 60 which conforms to an inclined portion 62 on the keeper 18 when the parts are in latched position.

Referring to Figure 4, it will be seen that the hook 46 is provided with a cam surface 64 which rides over the lower end or edge 66 of the bracket 20. In the position of the parts shown in Figure 2, the lowermost portion 68 of the cam surface is in contact with the edge 66. By rotating the handle 52 90 the cam surface will ride over the edge 66 to its highest portion 70 which will pull the support 30 downward in the channel portion 26 further to place the spring under compression. When the handle is rotated as described, the hook portion 46 and the contact surfaces 60 and 62 will be changed so that the flat or bottom side 72 on the cam and the hook is in contact with or faces the keeper 18. By now pulling outwardly on the handle 52 the latch or hook is released from the keeper which will allow the raising of the hood. When the handle 52 is released the spring 34 will pull upward on the support 30 (when considering Figure 2). This pull is strong enough to cause the handle 52 to rotate, because of the action of the cam 64 on the edge 66, swinging the handle to the position shown in Figures 1 and 2. When the hood is returned to the down position the handle 52 is pushed downward to push the hook 46 under the keeper. The spring 34 will again bring the parts to the position shown in Figure 2.

Referring to Figures 2 and 4,. a lip or extension '73 is provided on the hook 46 just beyond the cam 64 and between the cam and the hook engaging surface 60. This lip aids in forming the depression or seat 75 in which the keeper 62 is received. This notch or depression 75 prevents the hood from moving in and out when the parts are in locked position.

Referring to the species of Figures 6 and '7, the cam surface 64 and the projection 44 have been eliminated. Instead of the projection 44 a pin '74 secured to the shaft 48 rides in a slot '76 in the lower portion of the support 30 to limit the swing of the shaft. The hook or latch portion 46' has the tapered edge '78 to facilitate ease in removal of the latch from the keeper 18' when the handle is rotated 90 from the position shown in Figure 6.

The support 30 has the bent-out tongues which ride in a slot 82in the bracket 20 to limit the upward movement of the support and properly to guide it.

In some instances it may be necessary to mount the handle 52 higher because of interference by the fender or spare wheel (neither being shown). In these instances the mechanism is inverted and the handle 52 placed at the top instead of at the bottom of the bracket 20. This structure will be understood if the bracket and the mechanism mounted therein is rotated 180 around the shaft 48 in Figure 2.

I claim:

1. In a latch for holding down the hoods of vehicles, a bracket secured to the inside of the hood, a hook member slidably mounted in the bracket and adapted to engage with a keeper, a cam on said hook engaging the bracket, a spring constantly acting on said hook to pull the cam against the bracket, and a handle to rotate the hook and move the cam, said spring and cam causing the handle to return to its original position when released.

2. In a latch for holding down the hoods of vehicles, a bracket secured to the inside of the hood, means inside the bracket and slidable therethrough, a spring between said means and bracket resiliently mounting said means in the bracket, a shaft turnably mounted in said means and extending outside the hood, said means and spring slidably and resiliently mounting said shaft, keeper engaging means on said shaft inside the hood and adapted to hold the hood in down position, and means outside the hood and attached to the shaft to rotate the shaft and said keeper engaging means to compress the spring and to release the said keeper engaging means from the keeper, said shaft also capable of bodily movement to engage or disengage said keeper engaging means from the keeper.

3. In a latch for holding down the hoods of vehicles, a bracket secured to the inside of the hood, means inside the bracket and slidably therethrough, means resiliently mounting said slidable means in said bracket, a shaft extending outsided the hood and turnably mounted in said slidable means, both said means slidably and resiliently mounting said shaft, keeper engaging means on said shaft inside the hood adapted to hold the hood in down position, a cam on said keeper engaging means engaging the bracket and tending to hold said keeper engaging means in latched position, and means outside the hood attached to the shaft to rotate the shaft and said keeper engaging means to release the said keeper engaging means from the keeper, said shaft also capable of bodily movement to engage or disengage said keeper engaging means from the keeper.

4. In a latch for holding down the hoods of vehicles, a bracket secured to the inside of the hood, means inside the bracket and slidable therethrough, a spring resiliently mounting said slidable means in said bracket, a shaft turnably 4 mounted in said slidable means and extending outside the hood, said means and spring slidably and resiliently mounting said shaft, keeper engaging means on said shaft adapted to hold the hood in down position, a stop on said keeper engaging means engaging the slidable means to limit the turning movement of the shaft, and means outside the hood and attached to said shaft to rotate the shaft and said keeper engaging means to release the said keeper engaging means from the keeper, said shaft also capable of bodily movement to engage or disengage said keeper engaging means from said keeper.

5. In a latch for holding down the hoods of vehicles, a bracket secured to the inside of the hood, means inside the bracket and slidable therethrough, a spring resiliently mounting said means in the bracket, a shaft rotatably mounted in the end of said means, said means and spring slidably and resiliently mounting said shaft, one end of said shaft extending without the hood, keeper engaging means secured to the other end of said shaft inside the hood and adapted to engage a keeper to hold the hood in down position, and a handle on the shaft outside the hood to rotate the shaft and said keeper engaging 

